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the holy new martyrs of eastern russia - Coptic Orthodox teaching

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catacomb priest] Fr. Michael [Yedlinsky, <strong>the</strong> future hieromartyr] in <strong>the</strong> church<br />

<strong>of</strong> Saints Boris and Gleb in Podol.<br />

"We lived mainly on chance parcels from former parishioners from Romny.<br />

The whole time <strong>the</strong>re were various unpleasantnesses. For example, a message<br />

would come from <strong>the</strong> police: <strong>the</strong> next day Fr. Adrian was to go <strong>the</strong>re to clean<br />

<strong>the</strong> snow; I had to run, bustle around and get a medical certificate to say that<br />

Fr. Adrian was ill and lying in bed. Moreover, <strong>the</strong> certificate could not be<br />

from a private doctor, but had to be from <strong>the</strong> Red Cross.<br />

"In 1929 Fr. Adrian was arrested. How Vladyka supported me, encouraged<br />

me, prayed for me at that time! By some kind <strong>of</strong> miracle Fr. Adrian was<br />

released.<br />

“In 1931 <strong>the</strong> story with <strong>the</strong> flat began. At that time we were not living in<br />

<strong>the</strong> basement but occupied two rooms in <strong>the</strong> house <strong>of</strong> people whom we k<strong>new</strong>.<br />

But <strong>the</strong> house in which we were living had changed into a “communal living<br />

area”, so we had to find a flat from a private house-owner. But when we with<br />

great difficulty found it, it was almost taken away from us by a man who<br />

came into our flat, put a bed in one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rooms and said that <strong>the</strong> flat was his!<br />

“How much I went through <strong>the</strong>n! Alone with two small children, and with<br />

constantly drunken people on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wall who shouted: ‘She’s<br />

hiding her pope somewhere or o<strong>the</strong>r’. I k<strong>new</strong> that <strong>the</strong> wife <strong>of</strong> this man was<br />

about to come from hospital with her just-born child. I understood our<br />

hopeless situation, our complete lack <strong>of</strong> rights in a juridical sense. Our<br />

landlady, <strong>of</strong> course, want to evict this man who had settled in without her<br />

knowledge and have us in her house. With her we decided that Poly (<strong>the</strong><br />

nanny <strong>of</strong> our children, who at that time worked in a factory) could take him<br />

to court since she had <strong>the</strong> rights <strong>of</strong> a working person. I ran to Vladyka in<br />

complete despair, told him everything and said that we had to take a lawyer.<br />

But Vladyka said to me: ‘What lawyer, your lawyer is Nicholas <strong>the</strong><br />

Wonderworker.’ I left Vladyka encouraged, with a certain hope. We served a<br />

moleben to <strong>the</strong> <strong>holy</strong> Hierarch Nicholas, and <strong>the</strong> next day Polya returned from<br />

<strong>the</strong> court and said that <strong>the</strong> case had been decided in her favour and that if, in<br />

<strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> next two weeks, <strong>the</strong> man did not appeal, he would have to<br />

vacate <strong>the</strong> flat. In two weeks <strong>the</strong> flat was freed.<br />

"Was this not <strong>the</strong> mercy <strong>of</strong> God, Who defended our rightless family<br />

according to <strong>the</strong> laws <strong>of</strong> that time through <strong>the</strong> prayers <strong>of</strong> Vladyka! How<br />

necessary in those difficult times were such people as Vladyka Nicholas. By<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir deep faith and authoritative word <strong>the</strong>y were able to support us who<br />

were fain<strong>the</strong>arted and wavering in faith. Vladyka always supported me in<br />

this way. We also had to suffer material hardships at that time. Vladyka<br />

somehow understood <strong>the</strong>m and k<strong>new</strong> when <strong>the</strong>y came. He would come to us,<br />

219

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